United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

Pacific Northwest

Research Station

General

Technical Report

PNW-GTR-397

April 1997

UTOOLS: Microcomputer

Software for Spatial Analysis

and Landscape Visualization

Alan A. Ager and Robert J. MCGaughey
ALAN A. AGER is an operations research analyst, Umatilla National Forest, 2517

Hailey Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801; and ROBERT J. McGAUGHEY is a research

forester, Pacific Northwest Research Station (current mailing address: University of

Washington, College of Forest Resources, Bloedel 361, P.O. Box 352100, Seattle, WA

98195-2100).

Authors
Abstract Ager, Alan A.; McGaughey, Robert J. 1997. UTOOLS: microcomputer software for

spatial analysis and landscape visualization. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-397.

Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest

Research Station. 15 p.

UTOOLS is a collection of programs designed to integrate various spatial data in a way

that allows versatile spatial analysis and visualization. The programs were designed for

watershed-scale assessments in which a wide array of resource data must be integrated,

analyzed, and interpreted. UTOOLS software combines raster, attribute, and vector data

into “spatial databases” in which each record represents a square pixel of fixed area,

and each field in the database represents a map layer, theme, or attribute. UTOOLS

includes several common GIS functions, such as procedures for calculating buffers,

slope, aspect, patch size, convexity, and measures of topographic diversity. The UVIEW

program provides rapid two- and three-dimensional images of digital elevation models,

attribute data, and vegetation patterns at watershed scales. UTOOLS programs fulfill

the routine analytical needs of resource professionals at low cost and without the

expense and training required by many other spatial analysis and visualization systems.

Keywords: Geographic information system, wildlife habitat relations, landscape visualization, landscape ecology, ecosystem management, ecosystem planning, watershed

analysis, habitat analysis, spatial analysis, spatial databases, visualization software.
Introduction

Overview of UTOOLS Software

Capabilities of UTOOLS Software

The UVIEW Program

Example Applications of UTOOLS

Analysis of Landscape Structure

Analysis of Vertebrate Habitat Relations With HABSCAPES

Forage Allocation Models

Assessment of Elk Habitat in Western Oregon and the Blue Mountains

Spatial Analysis of SMART Stream Survey Data for the Columbia River Basin

Assessment

Analysis of Wildlife Telemetry Data for the Starkey Project

Visualizing Long-Term Vegetation Management—The Augusta Creek Project

Landscape Management System

Building UTOOLS Spatial Databases

Hardware and Software Specifications and Distribution

Conclusions

Acknowledgments

References

Appendix

Software Referenced in Text

Contents 1

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1

Introduction

Overview of UTOOLS

Software

The management of natural resources on National Forests has undergone a rapid

transformation in response to growing concerns over ecosystem sustainability. Special

attention is being focused on the viability of aquatic and terrestrial populations adversely

affected by human-caused disturbances (FEMAT 1993). The assessment of such

disturbances on habitats and dependent species is a complex task that requires several

analysis tools, including geographic information and decision support systems, simulation and deterministic models, and appropriate data links. Although not confined to

aquatic and terrestrial biology, the shortage of suitable analytical tools has been especially acute in these fields in which new analysis procedures have been adopted that

consider several species and geographic scales, and include spatial components like

buffers, corridors, and home ranges. The advent of ecosystem analysis, in which species

interdependencies are considered along with individual needs, has further intensified the

problem. These analytical needs require improved spatial analysis tools and data visualization that are designed to work within the operational environment of Federal land

management agencies. Specifically, these tools must be usable by resource specialists,

not exceed budgeted costs, be able to access diverse data sources and formats, and

address specific needs of resource specialists as they relate to land management

planning.

The UTOOLS software evolved from the demands of resource specialists within the

Forest Service for efficient spatial analysis and landscape visualization tools to address

complex land management issues (Ager and McGaughey 1996). UTOOLS is a system of

22 public domain programs that, when coupled with Paradox1 database software,

provides a simple geographic analysis “toolbox” that meets the analytical needs of

resource specialists (see appendix for information about software mentioned in the text).

Recently, these programs and their documentation have been widely distributed and

applied within the Forest Service because of their ease of operation and tailoring to

specific resource issues facing specialists within the Agency. UTOOLS has supported

analysis of many fire salvage and watershed projects, forestwide timber analysis for the

Forest Ecosystem Management Analysis Team report (FEMAT 1993) and even law

enforcement activities. In this paper, we outline the capabilities of UTOOLS, and discuss

several applications that focus on aquatic and wildlife habitat assessments and research.

UTOOLS was designed to address ecosystem analysis problems in which many data

themes must be examined simultaneously. Analyzing ecosystems requires integrating

many facets of natural systems; UTOOLS reorganizes spatial data to meet that need.

Specifically, UTOOLS programs combine raster, vector, and attribute data into “spatial

databases” in which each record represents a square pixel of fixed area, and each field

in the database represents a map layer or map attribute (fig. 1). The spatial databases

are stored in Paradox, where they can be analyzed via several avenues (fig. 1), or

visualized with UVIEW.

The overall advantage of the spatial data structure is that it eliminates the need for

complex links between raster or vector map themes and attribute data. The accuracy of

much of the analysis does not require vector data. The error introduced by converting a

vector map to a raster map is, at the most, one-half the pixel size. Complex geographic

information system (GIS) operations, such as overlays and unions, are thus reduced to

1 The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader

information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service.
Figure 1—Overview of UTOOLS programs and data links.

2
3

simple Paradox queries. Many habitat and other resource analysis problems involve

repetitive querying of several layers and attributes, comparison and cross validation of

data assembled from many sources, simulating effects of management activities, or

designing the spatial layout of habitat reserves. Solutions to many of these ecological

problems cannot be derived from optimization software, but rather require exploration of

many alternate solutions. Thus, iterative spatial analyses that integrate many kinds of

data are characteristic of habitat and other ecosystem component investigations. When

data structures are combined into a UTOOLS Paradox database, querying is more

efficient and analysis is simplified. Furthermore, a robust system of data links to other

software extends the functionality of UTOOLS and the Paradox spatial databases to

encompass several spatial analysis tools.

The analysis and visualization capabilities in UTOOLS were designed to accommodate

the demands of resource specialists. This design required both spatial algorithms within

UTOOLS software and data links to a growing number of programs commonly used by

resource specialists for specific analysis (for example, FRAGSTATS, McGarigal 1993,

McGarigal and Marks 1995; HEICALC, Hitchcock and Ager 1992; HEIWEST, Ager and

Hitchcock 1992; and DISPLAY, Flather and others 1992, McNeil and Flather 1992).

These data links also required the ability to convert data in UTOOLS databases for

export as either raster or vector data to ARC/INFO data layers. The utility of UTOOLS

also has been extended by the development of applications that have built on UTOOLS

software to support other analyses (for example, Mellen and others 1995b).

Much of the analytical function in UTOOLS is provided by the Paradox query system,

which is attractive for users because of its intuitive design and simplicity. Paradox

queries of spatial databases can achieve several of the most common GIS functions,

including all types of overlays and attribute links. The interactive query system is

extended by a scripting capability in which one or more query operations can be saved

in ASCII files for later replay. This feature dramatically simplifies the development and

application of complex rule bases, like those that involve mathematical operations or

many combinations of layers and their attributes. The Paradox-integrated programming

language, ObjectPALTM, and the Borland database engine for Pascal and C provide

additional avenues to develop custom, stand-alone database applications that interface

with Paradox spatial databases. One of the more useful commercial applications of this

type is Parastat, which provides various statistical analyses such as data exploration,

multiple regression, and analysis of variance.

The demand for several spatial operations led to the creation in UTOOLS of UCELL5, a

DOS-protected mode program compiled in Borland Pascal 7.0. UCELL5 reads from and

writes to spatial databases, and performs selected spatial operations frequently used in

environmental assessments. These include routines to calculate buffers, slope and

aspect (Skidmore 1989), discrete patches, landscape convexity (Kvamme 1988),

landscape diversity, bilinear interpolation, and many other spatial operations.

Data visualization is a powerful tool in ecosystem management as a method to portray

forest conditions and simulate alternative management plans (Heasley 1990; Orland

and others 1990, 1992). In its most advanced form, data visualization tools can be used

to generate photorealistic images of forested landscapes by using U.S. Geological

Survey (USGS) elevation and stand structure data, providing a powerful method to

explore forest policy issues. Few of these tools exist, however, and virtually none have

been available to resource specialists in Federal land management agencies.

Capabilities of

UTOOLS Software

The UVIEW Program
4

State-of-the-art visualization tools are integrated into UTOOLS via the UVIEW program.

UVIEW builds two- and three-dimensional images of attribute data stored in UTOOLS

Paradox spatial databases, vegetation patterns at landscape scales, and digital terrain

models (DTMs; an organized data set describing the ground surface and consisting of a

regularly spaced grid of elevations). UVIEW evolved from terrain-viewing software

developed for the PLANS system (McGaughey 1991) and the Vantage Point visualization system (Fridley and others 1991). The UVIEW program combines the capabilities of

a relational database with a simple terrain-viewing system to provide a flexible analysis

and display tool. The images produced by UVIEW provide a readily understood visualization depicting spatial analysis results and existing or desired landscape conditions.

UVIEW provides a flexible system for viewing a digital terrain model. Four parameters

control the appearance of perspective views: the head or eye location; focus or target

location; camera lens focal length (15 to 400 millimeters), and the vertical exaggeration

(1.0 to 4.0). UVIEW allows users to specify exact coordinates for the head and focus

locations or interactively select a head and focus location while viewing a simple perspective representation of the DTM.

Terrain models can be viewed by using various methods and resolutions, including

coarse and fine resolution profiles; coarse and fine resolution grid; solid surface representations with hidden surface removal; and lighted, shaded solid surface representations with hidden surface removal. Users typically use the wire frame representations for

positioning and exploration of the terrain surface. They use the solid surface representations to display attribute data from the Paradox spatial database and simulated vegetation. Computer systems equipped with a VESA-compatible graphics adapter capable of

displaying 256 colors in at least 640 by 480 pixel resolution can display lighted, solid

surface representations. These rendered images add realism to a scene by simulating a

light source and computing various shades of color depending on the orientation of a

DTM cell. UVIEW uses a gray-scale gradient for bare ground and

12 additional colors for attribute display.

Attributes in Paradox spatial databases are draped on landscape views by using an

interactive query system that supports various query operators, including string pattern

matching, numeric comparisons, and Boolean operators. UVIEW can display query

results in both perspective and planimetric views. The planimetric view of the DTM

includes contour lines generated from the DTM with a user-specified contour interval.

Polygon and vector data files also can be displayed in planimetric view.

UVIEW supports a versatile script language to automate data visualization. Scripts can

be used to generate sequences of images to illustrate a landscape from different viewpoints, or show changes in vegetation in response to alternative management scenarios.

The VIEWPCX utility can display single images or sequences of images to provide

animation capabilities. The UV360FLT and FLY are utilities that can be used to define

viewing parameters for constructing “virtual flights” over landscapes.

UVIEW can model vegetation patterns to simulate existing or desired landscape conditions (fig. 2). The primary goal in vegetation modeling is to simulate overall landscape

texture and pattern rather than specific, detailed vegetation structure. UVIEW uses two

methods to model vegetation pattern. The first method uses estimates of canopy closure

from a Paradox spatial database to generate tree cover for each pixel. The second uses

vegetation codes in one Paradox spatial database and structure definitions for each
5

possible vegetation code in another Paradox database. The canopy-closure method

represents differences in stand densities well but does not represent differences in

stand composition and structure. UVIEW displays all values of canopy closure by using

the same type and size of plant; only the density of plants differs (fig. 2). In contrast,

vegetation modeling based on structure definitions represents both stand density and

stand composition. Stand structure definitions consist of layer descriptions, with each

layer in a vegetation type described by the type of plant, plant stem diameter, plant

height, plant crown diameter, plant live crown ratio, a factor describing the variability of

the size parameters, and the number of plants per unit area (normally acres or hectares).

UVIEW represents various plant types ranging from grass to mature, healthy conifer

and hardwood trees. Vegetation structure descriptions can consist of up to 36 layers;

however, practical descriptions contain only two to three layers.

UTOOLS programs used in conjunction with Paradox, FRAGSTATS (McGarigal and

Marks 1995), and DISPLAY (McNeil and Flather 1992) provide a simple and efficient

set of tools for quantifying and visualizing landscape structure. Landscape structure

affects many ecological characteristics, and many metrics have been developed to

measure pattern, texture, grain, and other spatial characteristics of landscape patches

(for example, see O’Neill and others 1988, Turner and Gardner 1991). The calculation

of landscape metrics for large landscapes has been vastly simplified with programs like

FRAGSTATS and DISPLAY. UTOOLS further enhances the utility of these programs

by providing a simple means to convert various landscape data to Paradox spatial

databases where they can be manipulated and subsequently exported to ASCII files

formatted for DISPLAY and FRAGSTATS. Changes in landscape structure resulting

from management or natural disturbances can easily be represented by using Paradox

queries on a spatial database and data export features in UCELL5 that format Paradox

data for input into DISPLAY or FRAGSTATS.

A system called HABSCAPES (Mellen and others 1995a, 1995b) was developed by

the Mount Hood National Forest to examine wildlife populations in a community context

on large landscapes. HABSCAPES uses Paradox spatial databases created with

UTOOLS programs. Output from HABSCAPES is a spatial database mapped with

UVIEW. The goal of this system is to predict occurrence of all terrestrial vertebrate and

aquatic amphibian species relative to landscape pattern for large geographic areas.

Species are grouped into life-history guilds based on expected responses of species to

the amounts and distributions of habitat across the landscape (for example Brown 1985,

Thomas 1979). Habitat configurations are measured in terms of home range, patch

size, patch-configuration use, and stand-level habitat preference. The procedure links

databases of wildlife habitat relations and life-history characteristics to a UTOOLS

vegetation database by using FORTRAN programs and Paradox scripts. Several

UTOOLS programs are used in the HABSCAPES analysis to develop and synthesize

the vegetation database as well as display the results. Although HABSCAPES was

developed as a Forest-level analysis tool, it is now widely applied for watershed analyses

and Adaptive Management Areas by both west- and east-side National Forests in the

Pacific Northwest (Region 6).

UTOOLS software has proven useful for building the land strata for linear programming

models (Johnson and others 1986) and spatially displaying the outputs. For instance,

Johnson and others (1996) describe a prototype stocking allocation tool to guide the

allocation of forage resources to cattle (Bos taurus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus),

and elk (Cervus elaphus) in the Blue Mountains. This linear programming model

Example Applications

of UTOOLS

Analysis of Landscape

Structure

Analysis of Vertebrate

Habitat Relations With

HABSCAPES

Forage Allocation Models
6

A

B
7

C

Figure 2—UVIEW can depict vegetation patterns by using canopy-closure estimates for each pixel in the

spatial database. Images shown are heavy harvest with aggregated retention (A), light harvest with

aggregated retention (B), and harvest with dispersed retention (C). (Data and images were produced by the

students of FE 444, winter quarter 1995, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington.)

appraises forage consumption by elk, mule deer, and cattle over seven monthly time

periods (April 1 to October 31), by using spatially and temporally explicit information on

habitat preferences, forage production, and forage quality, as well as species-specific

metabolic relations for weight gain and loss. Animal distributions are predicted based on

their responses to environmental variables, including seasonal estimates of the quantity

and quality of forage produced in various habitat types. This model was built from various

data themes that describe topography, forage production, distance to features like water

and roads, and many other layers. The data are assembled in a UTOOLS spatial database, and land strata (analysis areas) for the linear programming model are synthesized

with Paradox queries. Model outputs for forage use and other variables are linked, by

using the model identifiers, to the spatial input database, where they are summarized

and mapped with UVIEW (fig. 3). By using the habitat identifiers in the spatial database,

forage use is linked back to the spatial database and is displayed visually (fig. 3).

Thomas and others (1988) developed a habitat effectiveness index (HEI) to measure

elk habitat quality for winter ranges in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. A similar

model was developed for elk habitat in western Oregon (Wisdom and others 1986).

The models evaluate four habitat components: the size and spacing of cover and forage

areas; the density of roads traveled by motorized vehicles; the quantity and quality of

forage; and the quality of cover. Although research to validate these models continues

(Wisdom and Rowland, in prep.), HEI models are widely applied in measuring and

monitoring elk habitat (Edge and others 1990). Nearly all National Forests in the Pacific

Assessment of Elk Habitat

in Western Oregon and the

Blue Mountains
8

Northwest Region have incorporated HEI standards into Forest plans and have adopted

the models for monitoring long-term changes to elk habitat. The application of these

models was facilitated by UTOOLS software that automates HEI calculations (Ager and

others 1991; Ager and Hitchcock 1992, 1994; Hitchcock and Ager 1992). The

HEIWEST program calculates HEI from coefficients of habitat use published by Wisdom and others (1986), whereas the HEICALC program calculates HEI for the Blue

Mountains winter range model (Thomas and others 1988). These programs have been

integrated with UTOOLS so that habitat and other data required by the programs can be

organized and validated within a spatial database and subsequently exported to files

formatted for HEICALC and HEIWEST. Typically, HEI values are calculated for many

project alternatives by modifying existing vegetation with Paradox queries on a spatial

database that contains timber harvest alternative units as well as stand conditions.

These queries change canopy closure for all pixels that occur within a harvest prescription area; the canopy is reduced by some fixed amount to represent the posttreatment

condition. The revised data are exported to HEI programs to complete big game habitat

assessment for proposed alternatives. Frequent changes to alternatives are easily

accommodated by this system, because queries to simulate alternatives are recorded in

scripts that are simply replayed if harvest units are modified.

McKinney (1995) described the application of UTOOLS for multiscale analysis of Forest

Service stream survey data collected with the Hankin and Reeves (1988) method. The

latter forms the basis for the stream management, analysis, reporting, and tracking

(SMART) information system in Region 6. Before the adoption of UTOOLS, there was

no usable method to analyze and view these data. McKinney (1995) developed a

procedure for linking SMART data to stream segment maps for visualization with

Figure 3—UVIEW image of a portion of the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range showing outputs from a forage allocation model that

maximizes animal habitat preferences (see text). Gray shades show areas predicted by the model to be foraged primarily by cattle (dark gray), elk

(medium gray), and deer (light gray) for the month of September. The image was created by linking the linear programming solution file to a

UTOOLS spatial database.

Spatial Analysis of

SMART Stream Survey

Data for the Columbia

River Basin Assessment
9

UVIEW, and methods to analyze the data with Paradox queries. These procedures

were used to assess aquatic habitat relations within the Columbia River basin as part of

the Eastside Ecosystem Management Project (Lee and others, in prep.).

The Starkey Project is a long-term study to examine interactions of mule deer, elk,

and cattle and their response to forest management activities in the Blue Mountains

province of eastern Oregon (Johnson and others 1991; Rowland and others, in press;

Wisdom 1992). The project uses a loran-C animal tracking system to record animal

movements throughout the grazing season. A major component of this investigation is

to refine habitat models for cattle, deer, and elk. Various habitat data for Starkey, to be

used for model development, have been assembled in UTOOLS databases (Rowland

and others, in prep.). Animal telemetry data also are converted to spatial database

format and merged with habitat data. Telemetry observations are assigned to database

records based on their coordinates. The association of habitat data with animal use in a

single data structure allows for rapid exploration of the relation between animal locations

and habitat characteristics. Data can be statistically analyzed with Parastat, or exported

to an ASCII format compatible with statistical analysis system (SAS).

With the UVIEW scripting language, movies of the telemetry data are created depicting

cattle, deer, and elk movements over the grazing season on a landscape image developed from a UVIEW terrain model. Vegetation is added to these images to create a

realistic image of the landscape with animal locations. This technique provides a dynamic

depiction of animal behavior over time that yields valuable insights into animal-habitat

relations and interspecific interactions.

The Augusta Creek Project used concepts of natural range of variability to develop a

long-range treatment schedule for the watershed. The area was stratified by frequency

and size of natural disturbance, like fire; silvicultural treatments for a 200-year planning

horizon were then designed and scheduled to mimic the natural disturbance mechanisms. Changes in the landscape were visualized with a UVIEW movie. Vegetation

changes were modeled with Paradox queries according to the harvest schedule and

projected regrowth. Tree canopy was removed with treatments and grown back over

time. UVIEW was then used to draw the vegetation images in 10-year increments,

which were subsequently played in rapid succession to produce a time series of forest

succession within the Augusta Creek area.

Developed at the University of Washington, the landscape management system (LMS)

was designed to assist in landscape-level analysis and planning of forest ecosystems

(Oliver and McCarter 1996). This system automates such tasks as graphic and tabular

summarization, stand projection and visualization, and landscape visualization. The

LMS incorporates distinct programs that store or process inventory information, produce

graphic or tabular displays, and simulate stand development and growth, thereby

connecting these diverse programs into a cohesive system. UVIEW and UTOOLS are

used in LMS to create landscape visualizations of forest conditions over time with

several alternative management strategies.

UTOOLS utility programs convert spatial data from their native formats to Paradox

spatial databases (fig. 1). Specific DOS-based programs exist to deal with USGS digital

elevation data (USGS 1987), ERDAS GIS data coverages (ERDAS, Inc. 1991), the

ARC/INFO SAMPLE commands in the ARC GRID subsystem (Environmental Systems

Research Institute, Inc. 1994), and ASCII flatfiles (fig. 1). Procedures for building spatial

Analysis of Wildlife

Telemetry Data for the

Starkey Project

Visualizing Long-Term

Vegetation Management—

The Augusta Creek

Project

Landscape Management

System

Building UTOOLS

Spatial Databases
10

databases are explained in detail in the UTOOLS operations manual (Ager and

McGaughey 1996) and are only briefly covered here. Vector layers (polygon, line, and

point) are converted to raster and imported to Paradox by using the UCELL5 program.

UCELL5 accepts data in MOSS import-export format (USDI 1990) by using either the

State Plane or Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system. Attribute data are

imported into Paradox format and joined with a query based on vector subject codes

common to both the vector theme and attribute database. Oracle attribute data are

converted directly to Paradox with the Borland Data Pump or SQL Links.

The USGS digital elevation data are processed with three utilities in UTOOLS:

IMPRTDEM, ADDELEV, and EXTELEV. IMPRTDEM imports raw USGS digital elevation data to a compact digital terrain model (McGaughey 1991). ADDELEV will populate

a Paradox spatial database with elevation by using a DTM as input, and will interpolate

if the database pixel size is different from the USGS raw data. EXTELEV translates

Paradox elevation data into a terrain model that matches the database for UVIEW.

Data in ERDAS format (ERDAS, Inc. 1991) are added to spatial databases with the

ADDERDAS program. This DOS program populates Paradox databases with integer

values from ERDAS files. The program is typically run in DOS batch file to populate a

spatial database with many quads of ERDAS data, such as LANDSAT thematic mapper

data. ERDAS data also can be displayed along with vector data by using SHOERDAS.

This program originally was developed to visually examine LANDSAT data before its

incorporation into spatial databases. Additional fields for buffers, slope, aspect, or

similar values, are added by using the UCELL5 program. Paradox queries can be used

to compute new fields, representing either combinations of existing fields or complex

calculations of fields in the spatial database.

The pixel size of a spatial database can be altered as needed for a project. Smaller

pixel sizes afford less spatial error in vector-to-raster conversion but result in large

databases that are slow to query and map. Most UTOOLS applications use a pixel size

of 30 to 100 meters per side, thereby resulting in databases of 30,000 to 250,000

records and 10 to 50 megabytes (MB) in size. Paradox databases can be as large as

256 MB. Available hard drive space becomes an important factor with large databases

because Paradox requires three to five times the size of the database in available space

to efficiently perform queries. Specific procedures for transferring attribute data to the

Paradox spatial database can be found in the UTOOLS operations manual (Ager and

McGaughey 1996).

UTOOLS operates on IBM-compatible personal computers running MS-DOS, Windows

3.x, or Windows95. Its operation requires microcomputer configurations with a 66 MHz

(or faster) 80486, 4 MB of RAM, at least 200 MB of available space on the hard drive,

and an SVGA display adapter. Lesser configurations are suitable for browsing the

example data included with UTOOLS but will not provide satisfactory performance for

most analysis problems. UTOOLS can be run without Paradox; however, its usefulness

will be limited.

Three files comprise the UTOOLS distribution: UTOOLS1.EXE and UTOOLS2.EXE

hold the UTOOLS documentation and programs, whereas UTOOLS3.EXE contains a

tutorial exercise and an example dataset for use with UTOOLS. UTOOLS and UVIEW

can be obtained on the Internet via anonymous FTP at forsys.cfr.washington.edu. Log in

as “anonymous” and use your e-mail address as a password. The UTOOLS1.EXE,

Hardware and

Software Specifications and Distribution
11

UTOOLS2.EXE, and UTOOLS3.EXE files are kept in the /pub/software/utools directory.

The UTOOLS and UVIEW home pages and links to the FTP are located on the World

Wide Web at:

http://forsys.cfr.washington.edu/utools.html

and at:

http://forsys.cfr.washington.edu/uview.html.

Documentation is contained within UMANUAL.DOC, an ASCII text file. Additional help

files are provided for HEICALC, HEIWEST, and the DISPLAY programs (Flather and

others 1992). Online help for UVIEW is available by clicking on the help button of the

introductory screen or by pressing [F1] at any time. “Demo data” contains a spatial

database for a 2025-hectare area in the Umatilla National Forest; vector, polygon, and

line files; terrain models; and various other files to complete the training exercise in the

UTOOLS manual.

Forest Service users can retrieve UTOOLS and UVIEW from the RIS site:

Host: R06F14A

Staff: PUBLIC

Drawer: UTOOLS

Folder: UTOOLS

Files: UTOOLS1.EXE

UTOOLS2.EXE

UTOOLS3.EXE

All UTOOLS programs are in the public domain, and therefore recipients or users may

not assert any proprietary rights, and the authors are not responsible for any erroneous

results from analysis with UTOOLS.

UTOOLS meets a critical need for simple and efficient spatial analysis tools that address various land management and scientific issues within the Forest Service and

elsewhere. The programs satisfy several criteria that are essential for software tools:

usable by many resource specialists; free; capable of accessing diverse data sources

and formats; and addresses specific needs of resource specialists as they relate to land

management planning.

We thank Mark Hitchcock and David Hatfield for their contributions to UTOOLS software. Ed Pugh, Jim Merzenich, Ken Tu, Shaun McKinney, Bill Connelly, Bob Clements,

Dave Kendrick, Alison Reger, and many others provided valuable feedback on early

versions. Bruce Johnson and Michael Wisdom provided technical reviews of the manuscript. Portions of this work were completed as part of cooperative agreement PNW89-

648 for the Starkey Research Development and Application Program between the

Pacific Northwest Research Station and the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest

Service.

Ager, Alan; Hitchcock, Mark; Mrowka, Rob [and others]. 1991. Some new tools for

analysis of elk habitat in eastern Oregon. In: Christensen, Alan G.; Lyon, L. Jack;

Lonner, Terry N., comps. Proceedings of elk vulnerability—a symposium; 1991 April

10-12; Bozeman, MT. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University: 60-62.

Conclusions

Acknowledgments

References
12

Ager, Alan; Hitchcock, Mark. 1992. Microcomputer software for calculating the

western Oregon elk habitat effectiveness index. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-303.

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Research Station. 12 p.

Ager, Alan; Hitchcock, Mark. 1994. HEICALC: elk habitat-effectiveness index software. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 22(1): 126-128.

Ager, A.A.; McGaughey, Robert. 1996. Operations manual for UTOOLS. 52 p. Unpublished manual. On file with: USDA Forest Service, Umatilla National Forest, 2517

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Brown, E.R., tech. ed. 1985. Management of wildlife and fish habitats in forests of

western Oregon and Washington. Publ. R6-F&WL-192. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 332 p.

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15

Software Company Address or reference

ARC/INFO Environmental Systems 380 New York Street

Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) Redlands, CA 92373-8100

Borland Data Pump

and SQL Links Borland International, Inc. 100 Borland Way

P.O. Box 660001

Scotts Valley, CA 95066-3249

DISPLAY Public domain Flather and others 1992

McNeil and Flather 1992

ERDAS ERDAS, Inc. 2801 Buford Highway, Suite 300

Atlanta, GA 30329

FRAGSTATS Public domain McGarigal and Marks 1995

HABSCAPES Public domain Mellen and others 1995a, b

HEICALC Public domain Hitchcock and Ager 1992

HEIWEST Public domain Ager and Hitchcock 1992

MOSS Public domain Bureau of Land Management

Branch of Interim LIS Management

Bldg. 50, Denver Federal Center

P.O. Box 25047

Denver, CO 80225-0047

Oracle Oracle Corporation 500 Oracle Parkway

Redwood City, CA 94065

Paradox Borland International, Inc. 100 Borland Way

P.O. Box 660001

Scotts Valley, CA 95066-3249

Parastat Financial Modeling 2049 Woodford Road

Specialists, Inc. Vienna, VA 22182

Statistical Analysis

System SAS Institute Inc. SAS Campus Drive

Cary, NC 27513

Appendix

Software Referenced in

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The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

is dedicated to the principle of multiple use management

of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of

wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through

forestry research, cooperation with the States and private

forest owners, and management of the National Forests

and National Grasslands, it strives—as directed by

Congress—to provide increasingly greater service to a

growing Nation.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of

race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability,

political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with

disabilities who require alternative means of communication

of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.)

should contact the USDA Office of Communications at

(202) 720-2791 (voice), or (800) 855-1234 (TDD).

To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250,

or call (800) 245-6340 (voice), or (800) 855-1234 (TDD).

USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Pacific Northwest Research Station

333 S.W. First Avenue

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, Oregon 97208-3890

Ager, Alan A.; McGaughey, Robert J. 1997. UTOOLS: microcomputer software for spatial

analysis and landscape visualization. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-397. Portland, OR: U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 15 p.

UTOOLS is a collection of programs designed to integrate various spatial data in a way that allows

versatile spatial analysis and visualization. The programs were designed for watershed-scale

assessments in which a wide array of resource data must be integrated, analyzed, and interpreted.

UTOOLS software combines raster, attribute, and vector data into “spatial databases” in which each

record represents a square pixel of fixed area, and each field in the database represents a map

layer, theme, or attribute. UTOOLS includes several common GIS functions, such as procedures

for calculating buffers, slope, aspect, patch size, convexity, and measures of topographic diversity.

The UVIEW program provides rapid two- and three-dimensional images of digital elevation models,

attribute data, and vegetation patterns at watershed scales. UTOOLS programs fulfill the routine

analytical needs of resource professionals at low cost and without the expense and training

required by many other spatial analysis and visualization systems.

Keywords: Geographic information system, wildlife habitat relations, landscape visualization,

landscape ecology, ecosystem management, ecosystem planning, watershed analysis, habitat

analysis, spatial analysis, spatial databases, visualization software.
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Pacific Northwest Research Station

333 S.W. First Avenue

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208

Official Business

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